To make this guide as useful as possible we start with a couple ground rules and assumptions.

First, within this guide we'll briefly address both social media platforms and directory listings. Directory listings on sites like Yelp, Houzz, ZocDoc and others are not technically social media sites however they are part of the broader online presence equation and, as such, we reference them.

Second, a social media account that is inactive is effectively worthless - in some cases worse than worthless because it makes it appear as though a live business may have folded and closed it's doors. Obviously, not ideal.

Next, this guide is meant as a starting point for businesses new to social media or those renewing their interest in social media. This is not meant to be comprehensive or exhaustive in any way.

Finally, and most importantly, if you don't have a website or your website isn't an effective anchor to your overall marketing efforts then you should probably spend more time getting that corrected before investing much effort in just about anything else. More on this below.

Recognizing Customers and Partners in Profile or Spotlight Articles is Fast and Easy
In this free download, you will find simple prompts to guide your customer recognition content as well as any partner articles you may want to create.

There are multiple ways to shine a spotlight on locals and local businesses or nonprofits that help you to share important relationships and highlight your values. After all, your relationships and authenticity are the two most valuable assets you have to grow your business.

GreetSmart / Distrix (Free Version) is a simple, no-cost digital platform designed to help businesses establish and promote their online presence in a local marketplace. The free plan allows businesses to quickly create a listing with photos, logos, website links, and social media profiles, while also making them discoverable on a searchable map and optimized web page through Distrix.

It also gives businesses the ability to share promotions and offers directly with customers, helping increase visibility and engagement without any upfront cost. The purpose of the free version is to provide an easy entry point for local businesses to get discovered online, connect with customers, and start marketing their services—completely free of charge.

Marketing often feels mysterious but we're here to equip you to become effective at local marketing without having to become an expert at marketing by following our Marketing 3-4-5™ framework and approach.

These small business marketing and content plans can be run with zero budget (for free) or paired with advertising to multiply your impact.

You can follow this strategy with or without a Locable account, but Locable includes a range of free and low-cost local marketing tools to simplify marketing and help you execute these plans quickly.

Each set of activities is grouped into sections below and includes an estimate for the amount of time it should take you to complete... you'll notice everything is fairly quick.

If any of these activities don't apply to you or you've already completed them then skip to the next section. Perhaps you don't host events or classes, no-biggie, just skip that section.

Marketing doesn't have to be that complicated so we're going to focus on simplifying marketing so you can be effective by helping implement a Marketing 3-4-5™ approach - we'd recommend you buy the Marketing 3-4-5™ book as we'll reference a number of topics in this guide.

You can start at the beginning and by the end, you'll be fully set up online, have the tools you need to implement local marketing, and have a solid foundation to help you reach your goals - whatever they may be. You can also check out our local industry-specific small business marketing plans.